To the Editor:

During the January 16 mayor debate, the Hardisons didn't exhibit much credibility. They acknowledged that they came to Federal Way in 2000. Therefore, their first-hand knowledge of community history is limited to the last seven years. I have been in Federal Way since May 1, 1987, so I have some long-term perspective.

During the debate, Gayla Hardison said "money is dedicated to projects that Federal Way citizens do not necessarily approve of."

She listed several projects that I expect will draw letters from other citizens.

I want to focus only on the remarks she and her equally misinformed husband, Frosty, made about the Community Center.

They said that the Community Center didn't have widespread community support and was competing with local businesses.

The need for a community center has been part of the city's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan since it was approved by the City Council in December 1991.

And that approval came after 15 months of public hearings; I sat on the task force that put the Parks Comp Plan together.

That plan has been reviewed every five years since 1991, and the community center has always been an expressed need in the community and remained in every final, approved Comp Plan.

Once a means for funding the Center was established, public meetings were held for nearly a year to get citizen input about what the building should include.

Then cost estimates were made and further revisions were made to come up with a building that satisfied the public needs and could be built for funds available.

I myself questioned whether the Community Center's fitness area would be competing with the private ones in the city.

The answer was it wouldn't, because the goals are different.

The Community Center's fitness area is for beginners.

These are the people who don't exercise much, want to get started and feel hesitant to do so with the body builders, jocks and other fitness crazed adults one finds in places like Bally's and 24 Hour Fitness.

After the beginners felt more comfortable using the equipment, they might want a more extensive exercise program and the services of a professional trainer.

That's when they would enroll in the private sector clubs. And that's exactly what has happened. Rather than compete with private clubs, the community center generates business for them.

King County wanted to close the Kenneth Jones pool, but the city agreed to operate it while the Community Center was being built.

Federal Way subsidized the Kenneth Jones Pool for $300,000 a year before the facility was returned to the school district on whose land the building sits.

Costly renovation will have to be done on the facility in the near future if it is to remain open.

The truth is that the Community Center offers a wide variety of family activities for all ages at the same time and same location.

The community center also has four elements unique to Federal Way: the climbing wall, the indoor track, the lazy river walk in the pool, and an indoor water slide. It is a family-oriented place and serves our city well.

H. David Kaplan

Federal Way